by Fabio Gennari
Atalanta friends, Nerazzurri brothers: go home, wake up everyone who is sleeping, from children to grandparents and tell them that Atalanta has written history. Liverpool, the great Liverpool, is out of the Europa League and Salah’s 0-1 is only good for statistics. Because Dea’s first European defeat of the season is sweet. Very sweet.
The Bergamo players played a game with great heart, they conceded the Egyptian’s goal after a handful of minutes on a penalty and took a big risk on a couple of occasions in the first half, but in the second half they didn’t give up, in fact they raised their level, they even tried. They put their heart into every ball they touch and give Bergamo and Italian football an incredible feat. Of the highest level. In the 180 minutes of play, qualification for the Europa League semi-final was deserved, the Dea won by a landslide in Liverpool and then managed at the Gewiss Stadium, obtaining a passage to the round of absolute prestige. Heart breaking with joy.
The coaches’ choices
The stadium is completely sold out (14,897 spectators, just under a thousand English spectators between the away sector and the grandstand), Gasperini Compared to the expectations of the day before, something changes, with two changes compared to a week ago, when the team beat Liverpool 3-0 at home. Kolasinac he is a starter in the defensive trio with Djimsiti And Hien to protect Musso, de Roon returns to the middle of the field alongside Ederson is ahead Koopmeiners wins the ballot with Pasalicas well as Miranchuk the one with De Ketelaere to flank Scamacca. After Monday’s match against Verona, de Roon also returns Zappacostafor a Goddess who still has elements on the bench capable of changing on the fly if the need arises.
Among the English ranks, however, the changes compared to the first leg match are many more. Klopp deploys Alisson in goal, Alexander-Arnold in defense on the right with Robertson in the opposite lane, Szoboszlai in the middle as well as Salah and Luis Diaz up front, for a total of six new faces: considering the level of the Reds squad, everything must be considered as a normal rotation in search of the big business. Spring evening and cooler temperatures than expected, a fantastic crowd and the pitch in perfect condition.
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Creepy first half
The match started as badly as it could for Dea: in the 6th minute Alexander-Arnold crossed from a couple of meters outside the penalty area and the ball landed on the wide arm of Ruggeri: the French Letexier whistles the penalty kick, Salah appears on the spot and displaces Musso and immediately reduces the Reds’ deficit. The visiting team gains confidence and in the 12th minute Gakpo frees Luis Diaz with his heel, but Musso’s exit is providential and the danger is averted.
Atalanta tries to regroup: in the 19th minute Miranchuk and Scamacca combine well with the ball on the ground, but the Russian’s final control is not perfect and Alisson can intervene in the split. Shortly after, Miranchuk again shoots from the edge of the penalty area after a rough tackle between Konaté and Scamacca, with the ball slipping a couple of meters to the bottom to the left of the Brazilian goalkeeper. Every time Liverpool tries to launch an offensive action, it puts the Orobic rearguard on edge: in the 31st minute, a diagonal strike with a decisive split by Djimsiti on Salah’s ball in the area for Luis Diaz, while in the 38th minute the Egyptian is imprecise with the lob which, assisted by the usual Gakpo, goes out to the bottom. Then, in the 41st minute, the stadium explodes for the 1-1 goal scored by Koopmeiners, but it’s all in vain because the number 7 is in an irregular position following de Roon’s assist. Before the break, yellow cards for Hien (handball) and Luis Diaz (protests) at the end of a truly dangerous move by the guests.
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Second half: unbeatable
The competitive level of the match, in the second half, remains very high. But, unlike the first half of the game, Atalanta has the strength, both mental and physical, to raise its center of gravity a little, to the point of finishing on three occasions with Ederson (50′), Koopmeiners (60 ‘, great work by Zappacosta) and Scamacca (68’).
As the minutes pass, every lateral foul or tackle won becomes a reason for celebration, the air becomes electric and the perception of the feat begins to flow throughout the stadium, in the eyes and hearts of everyone present. Emotions of a people who had never arrived at these levels in “modern football”. At Letexier’s final whistle the party explodes, with fireworks as a backdrop. The night above Città Alta is Nerazzurri and now there is a Europa League semi-final to play, with the return match in Bergamo set for 9 May. There’s time, now we need to celebrate. This city and these people deserve it. On May 2nd we must “invade” Marseille (which eliminated Benfica on penalties).
Atalanta-Liverpool 0-1
Networks: 7′ pen. Salah (L).
Atalanta (3-4-1-2): Musso; Djimsiti, Hien, Kolasinac; Zappacosta, Ederson (75′ Pasalic), de Roon, Ruggeri; Koopmeiners; Miranchuk (79′ Lookman), Scamacca (75′ De Ketelaere). All. Gasperini.
Liverpool (4-3-3): Alisson; Alexander-Arnold (72′ Gomez), Konaté, Van Dijk, Robertson (80 Danns); Szoboszlai (67′ Elliot), Jones, Mac Allister; Salah (67′ Nunez), Gakpo, Luis Diaz (67′ Jota). All. Klopp.
Referee: Letexier (FRA).
Ammonites: 43′ Hien (A), 43′ Diaz (L), 77′ Koopmeieners (A), 91′ Zappacosta (A).
Tags: Bergamo sky black blue Città Alta Liverpool wins Goddess history
